Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-09-12
DAILY HERALD.
CABLE VS.. HORSES.
Some Opinions By One
Who Knows. ,'.--'---.,
ADVANTAGES OF THE ROPE.
No More Danger From Accidents
Than in Other Cases.


3i ---s' ss8 l8tislH
"There is nothing like rapid transit
between business and home to build
up city," said l. n. Inglesby, OF
Chicago, to a representative OF the
HERALD yesterday. "Take Chicago
for instance. Perhaps had it not
been for the Communication trains lead
ing from the very heart of the city in
almost every direction to the outskirts,
its growth would not have been so
fast. Then its street cars ran SO often,
and made such good time, that the
loss OF time between the business
center and the residence portion of
the city was not great enough to cause
any feeling of Inconvenience to be ex-
perienced by the people. The institu-
tion of cable roads shortened the
time there, and it seems strange that
every corporation does not see the adj
vantage of making frequent and rapid
trips. There is nothing which aids
in building up city more than the
energy OF the railroads. Not only
does it build up the city, but it gives a
larger return to the companies. If a
traveller knows that he can
20 and return to certain point with
out having to wait ten or fifteen min
utes for a car at both ends, his mind
feels easier and he takes greater i'm
terest in the city; but when he knows
he will have to wait on every switch
for a car going in the opposite direc-
ton, he prefers to walk, and in this
way the companies lose money. 1t
seems to me that your street railway
companies in Los Angeles are very
short-sighted. They have every en-
cOuragement to make more trips,
quicker time, and yet, so far as. have
been able to observe, they are satis-
fled with infrequent trips and slow
movements" A=...s,..l
"What is the difference in expense
between the two systems, horse and
cable ?" asked the reporter. .#....
81 can hardly tell,'' replied. Mr..
Inglesby. ~ have not my, figures
with me, but l know that cable roads
pay about twice as much in dividends
as horse roads. At least this has
been my experience. / was inter-
ested at one time in a horse railway,
which has since been turned into a
cable company, and my stock pays me
now Just double what it did then. You
see, the only expense in the running
of the cable road is in the fuel and
salaries of the men. The cost of re-
pairs to machinery and cables does not
amount to much in the long run, and
the fuel is not more expensive than
the feed of the horses. Then in cases
where horses are used more men are
required to take care OF the animals
and the stock is continually giving
out. This is an expensive item and
the keeping Of sufficient number OF
horses in the city to equip railway is
in itself a nuisance. People in the
neighborhood are always complaining,
and this makes the life Of the officer
or stakeholder burden. Since |
have been interested in the cable road
l have not been bothered by COM
plants OF any kind"
''Is there not more liability of acct
dents from cable roads than from
horse roads ?" -s. Ht #...5.
81 do not think So II the superin'
tendent OF railway is careful in the
selection of his men there is no neeC
for accidents. Since | have been il
Los Angeles have heard o
as many accidents on you
horse-car lines as we have had on oul
line in two years. There is no neeC
for an accident on any line, no matter
how fast the cars travel, if the drivers
or engineers are only careful and on the
watch An engineer of dummy cal
nearly always tell whether the persor
or persons who approach street car
are liable to run into danger and they
are generally on the watch to preven
accidents. There are cases, l will ad
NIT, when all that the engineer can d'
will not prevent an accident. This il
not the fault of the cable road, but o
the men who get hurt. consider tn,
cable road equally as safe as the horse
road, and ever SO much more satisfac
tory to ride on. Take Market street
in San Francisco, for instance. There
you will find five or six cars in row
passing and repassing the mos
crowded cross thoroughfares in rapit
succession and yet the accidents arr
but seldom. When person considers
the streams of humanity which cross
the Market street tracks every hour il
the day, it is wonderful to me even, tha
more are notinjured. In Los Angeles
even with its narrow streets, there
would not be anywhere SO much dan
ger as there is in San Francisco, but i
is in the most unlocked for places thai
accidents occur most frequently. L
seems to me that there should he nt
objection to cable roads in Los Ange
les. In fact, they should be insisted
upon. The City Council should gran
no more franchises for horse RAILWAYS
for it is conceded everywhere tha
they retard the growth Of the city. 7,
saddle this city with network O
horse railroads, it seems to me, is
shame. The companies come in ant
ask for franchises for 80 years and j
Los Angeles is to increase in size, il
80 years from now it will look odd t
see horse railways instead Of cables Q
electric railroads. By that time ther
will be no cities of any fmportancetha
will have anything else but cabl
orelectric roads, and Los Angeles bein
new city just preparing for the fl
ture, provision should be made for
in the proper manner. .a.aJ.d y.U L
"What is your opinion of electr
roads? Do you think they will be i
extensive use ?"
81 hardly know see no reaso
why they should not be very popular
OF course no one likes the pole system
but even that is better than the hors
car. If storage battery system ca
be successfully operated, there can b
no objection, except as to the unsigh
liness of the cars, and | am of tn
u